A lytell Instruccõn for them that shall entre in to religyon / drawen out of the longe rule of saynt Iherom that he wrote to saynt Eustochiû &c.
Oue god aboue all thynge / & thy neyghbour as thyself. In these two is fulfylled all ye lawe & cõmaûdementes of god & parfyte charyte wtout whiche can noman or woman be relygyous & come to heuen / & the whiche had among them they make theyr place or monastery a paradyse in erthe & themself professed therin angelles full pleasaût vnto god. Wherfor amonge ye spouses of god ben one wyll / one comfort / one heuynes Remembrynge yt he is prynce of peas & charyte. in whom they shalbe wedded vnto. Forsake ye desyre of têporall goodes / for better it is to be ryche with other in the worlde than to be poore in a monasterye & to haue a desyre to haue god. Blessyd be they sayth our lorde yt ben poore in spyryte &c.
The more noble yt ye ben & come of worshypfull lynage ye more ye shal meke your self / & euer be gladde of poore & vyle habyte or clothynge / beware of obstentacyon & pryde or to desyre to be better arayed than an other syster is. And remembre yt ye shall be professed & wedde elyke to one spouse Ihesu cryste in one wyl & vowe / whiche loue none suche syngularyte / pompe & vayne glorye. For in his court shall not a kynges doughter haue prerogatyf afore an other in lower degree borne. Goostly lyf requyreth no dignyte temporall / though all ye be neuer so meke / yet your spouse was & is moche more meker. See in your mynde how yt saynt Peter was a poore fyssher / and Bartylmew a noble man of byrth. Netheles Peter was preferred & made prynce of Bartylmew & of all the worlde. Beware of grutchynge yt whiche gretly dyspleaseth god. Commende neuer your self of ony goodes gyuen or to be gyuen of you or by yours to ye monasterye or els where / but euer lerne & vse you to take ye crosse & to folowe your spouse in penaûce / & do that ye come for / kepynge obedyence / pacyence / mekenesse / sylence / prayer / fastynge / & suche other as your relygyon wyll gyue you Instruccyon. And in ony wyse shewe mekenesse in your langage / countenaûce & all other behauyour / & in especyall to your heed & souerayne / the whiche representeth cryste your spouse / & that in all obedyence / drede / loue / & reuerence. Neuer disputynge of theyr wyll or of other that be your souerayns / but thynke yt all is ryghtfull yt they do / presume not to correcte theyr Iugementes. For as by example yf eche man sholde haue the guydynge of a shyppe yt they be within / it sholde neuer prospere ne come to the hauen yt it desyred. And as ye be professed deed to the worlde so be ye deed in other mennes dedes.
Also remêbre that ye must forsake your owne wyll & offre it vp & gyue it to god & to them that shall be your souerayne & heed for euer more. Enforce eche one of you that shall come to religyon to passe an other in obedyence / for than doubtles ye shall please god A true obedyencer that hath vtterly forsaken his owne wyll / knowe not ony thynge harde to do yt is cõmaunded of theyr souerayne ne ony thynge vnryghtfull.
Beware of ydelnes the whiche is moder of all synne & vnclennesse / so that by your offyce that ye be called to / or by prayer / redynge / wrytynge / sewynge / or other handewerkes doynge / ye may make your bodyes dayly wery & crucyfyed. And therby make your spyrytes the more quycke and apte to the seruyce of our lorde in confusyon of your enemye and encreace of glorye.